While signing up for a local MeetUp group, I found that the group organizer has it set up to require that one complete one's profile before signing up. No problem, I figured, and typed in a sentence or two about me and why I'm interested in the group's topic, then hit "submit".

It bounced back. Error: required information missing. Please check the boxes with the red asterisks and make sure you've completed them all.

Huh. So I scan the page. What red asterisk did I miss?

The photo? The photo? You have it set up so I can't join your group unless I upload a photo?

Oh, hell no.

So I downloaded a gif from MeetUp and then reuploaded it as "my picture":

In the unlikely event the organizer contacts me and says "you have to include a real photo", I'm planning to upload this one:

Other solutions include finding a group photo (whether it includes you or not) and uploading that.. or just finding some homeless person on the street who will let their picture be taken for whatever spare change you have. But to be honest, any group that requires that is a group I want no part of.